iW NEWS | Arthouse Acquires Alice Neel Doc

iW NEWS | Arthouse Acquires Alice Neel Doc

Arthouse Films announced at Cannes that it has acquired the worldwide rights to the feature documentary on the life and art of Alice Neel. “Alice Neel” was directed by Alice’s grandson, Andrew Neel. It presents a portrait of the struggles the American painter faced as a female artist, a single mother, and a painter who defied convention.

“Neel” was produced by Ethan Palmer, Rebecca Spence, and SeeThink Productions. The deal was negotiated by David Koh, Head of Acquisitions and Production for Arthouse Films and partner Lilly Bright and her company Curiously Bright Entertainment, along with Andrew Neel and Ethan Palmer of SeeThink. Arthouse will continue to distribute the film theatrically around the country followed by a DVD release early next year. Arthouse is currently representing the worldwide rights at Cannes.

“We are very pleased to see the long-awaited documentary on this iconic artist reach a worldwide audience,” said Neel and Palmer in a joint statement. “The intimate ‘Alice Neel’ is perfectly suited to Arthouse Films’ sensibilities and we look forward to being a part of David and Lilly’s slate.” [Peter Knegt]